Every Child Matters
Orange Shirt Day began on September 30, 2013, to honour the estimated 150,000 children who were kidnapped from their families and forced into residential schools from 1831-1996. Residential schools were government-funded religious schools established in C
Orange Shirt Day began on September 30, 2013, to honour the estimated 150,000 children who were kidnapped from their families and forced into residential schools from 1831-1996. Residential schools were government-funded religious schools established in Canada to strip children of their Indigenous culture and assimilate them to Canadian society. These schools have caused long-term problems for Indigenous peoples and communities that are still felt today.
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**CONTENT WARNING: VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIGENOUS CHILDREN**
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"In 1886, at the age of twelve years, I was lassoed, roped and taken to the Government School at Lebret." shared Daniel Kennedy (Ochankuga’he), former student at Qu’Appelle residential school.
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I always hear “it’s in the past” and “they should get over it”. The last residential school closed in 1996, I was 6, there has been an existing residential school in my 30-year lifetime. We don't learn about residential schools as a genocide because of racism in Canadian systems. We're taught about genocides around the world but never discuss the one in our own backyard.
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According to the TRC Chair, Justice Murray Sinclair, an estimated 6,000 Indigenous children died in those schools. The ones that did survive faced heavy beatings, being chained up or confined and many students were sexually abused.
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I don't want to hear, "they believed they were doing the right thing" or "there was good intention behind it" those are lies. Colonizers believed that their way of living was the "correct" way of living, they believed in their superiority over Indigenous peoples and they intended to kill Indigenous culture.
I committed to 10 pins and started them on September 10 and finished them on September 22. For those who don't bead, these may be tiny but make no mistake, they take A LOT of work and time. I'm so incredibly grateful for everyone who reached out, I wish I could make them for everyone. I'm very happy to announce that I've reached my goal of $300 (10 pins at $30 each) for Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, Inc. (Ma Mawi) here on Treaty 1 territory in Winnipeg.
The name Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata translates from Ojibway into the phrase “we all work together to help one another” which is a phrase I think we all need to live by right now. Since I started beading last fall I've been welcomed into this beautiful Indigenous beading community and it has been incredibly important for my mental health during COVID-19. Thanks to your support I'm fortunate to be able to sell my work as a way to give back to the Indigenous community.
Wear your pin or orange t-shirt on September 30 as a way to remember all the Indigenous survivors of and Indigenous children lost in residential schools and remember going forward that #EveryChildMatters.
ABOUT MA MAWI WI CHI ITATA CENTRE
The Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, Inc. was born in the fall of 1984 by committed community members who sought an Indigenous solution to supporting and rebuilding families. Since that time, Ma Mawi has worked to support families to better care for children by creating meaningful opportunities for community and family involvement. Ma Mawi believes that strengthening families is a worthy investment in the future.
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Today Ma Mawi offers more than 50 programs, 11 sites, and 200+ staff and volunteers.
Information: thecanadianencyclopedia.ca